The Association of American Railroads (AAR)has reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 14, 2026.
For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 508,737 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.1 percent compared with the same week last year.
Total carloads for the week ending March 14 were 228,299 carloads, up 1.0 percent compared with the same week in 2025, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,438 containers and trailers, up 1.1 percent compared to 2025.
Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2025. They included grain, up 3,890 carloads, to 25,060; chemicals, up 1,837 carloads, to 34,966; and petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,088 carloads, to 10,688. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2025 included coal, down 3,618 carloads, to 57,825; metallic ores and metals, down 1,584 carloads, to 17,987; and forest products, down 684 carloads, to 7,816.
For the first 10 weeks of 2026, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,222,692 carloads, up 5.0 percent from the same point last year; and 2,754,646 intermodal units, down 0.5 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 10 weeks of 2026 was 4,977,338 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.9 percent compared to last year.
North American rail volume for the week ending March 14, 2026, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,589 carloads, down 0.8 percent compared with the same week last year, and 368,448 intermodal units, up 1.7 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 699,037 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.5 percent. North American rail volume for the first 10 weeks of 2026 was 6,849,595 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.4 percent compared with 2025.
Canadian railroads reported 88,636 carloads for the week, down 4.7 percent, and 72,706 intermodal units, down 0.5 percent compared with the same week in 2025. For the first 10 weeks of 2026, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 1,599,541 carloads, containers and trailers, up 1.9 percent.
Mexican railroads reported 13,654 carloads for the week, down 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year, and 15,304 intermodal units, up 31.8 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 10 weeks of 2026 was 272,716 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, up 18.3 percent from the same point last year.
